Chapter 68 Love Before Desire
Inside the main hall, clothes were scattered about, and some ambiguous noises could be faintly heard.
"Your Majesty, is it really you? Xian'er misses you so much..."
Narcissus's voice was soft and hoarse with emotion, yet it also revealed an extreme vulnerability and unease.
"It's me, I'm here... Xian'er..."
Emperor Zhaoheng's response was soothing, his delicate kisses landing on her overly pale neck.
The air is getting hotter, spring is coming to an end, and it seems like it will turn into the height of summer in the next moment.
Narcissus closed her eyes, feeling the hot breath spraying on her neck, her mind calm and clear.
She wielded her charm and allure with unparalleled skill, so much so that even an emperor, high above all others, would submit to her.
However.
To her surprise, Emperor Zhaoheng stopped at the crucial point.
He held her naked, deeply regulating his breathing.
He held Narcissus in his arms, her slender back pressed against his strong chest, and she could even feel his pounding heartbeat through the distance.
One blow after another, as if an obstacle between them was striking her heart.
"Your Majesty..." Shui Xian turned her head slightly, her voice filled with confusion as her emotions were interrupted, but deep in her heart, countless cold calculations flashed by.
In that instant, countless guesses flashed through her mind, and she tentatively called out to Emperor Zhaoheng.
What... it stopped?
Is it that she's failing, or... is it that he's failing?
Emperor Zhaoheng was unaware of her strange thoughts. He leaned down and kissed her slender back, causing her to tremble slightly.
"I just want to hug you."
She was so thin, so thin it broke his heart. Her shoulders were as thin as paper, as if they could be crushed with a gentle squeeze.
Sensing his movement, Narcissus's eyes flickered slightly.
Is Emperor Zhaoheng... feeling sorry for her?
She couldn't help but lightly clutch a corner of the thin blanket, a strange feeling passing through her heart.
During her confinement, she deliberately reduced her daily intake of tonics, hoping to become emaciated and evoke pity.
Ever since the day Yi Guichun filed her lawsuit, and Consort Li said that she was cunning and scheming.
Shui Xian was not only preparing to retaliate against them, but also using her increasingly haggard figure to evoke Emperor Zhaoheng's heartache.
If a man pities a woman, then in that relationship, the woman is the one in a superior position.
But the heartache Emperor Zhaoheng feels now is different from the heartache she painstakingly planned.
He actually managed to control himself.
Desire is human nature, but love precedes desire.
Did Emperor Zhaoheng fall in love with her?
Narcissus's eyes flickered slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in them.
If he loves her, some things will be easier to handle.
With her back to Emperor Zhaoheng, Shui Xian blinked slightly, concealing the confident smile on her lips.
As she turned around, tears streamed down her face the moment her gaze met that of Emperor Zhaoheng.
Snap.
It fell onto Emperor Zhaoheng's arm as he held her, and the slightly cool touch seemed to burn into his heart, causing a bittersweet feeling to well up inside him.
"Your Majesty...is it really you? Or is it just a dream of mine?"
She nestled softly into his arms, her dark hair brushing against his slender fingers, her fragrance filling his embrace, a warm and tender embrace.
Emperor Zhaoheng usually only watched her from afar, often seeing her aloof profile and fair face.
He had assumed she still harbored resentment towards him, but to his surprise, upon their first meeting, she was overwhelmed with emotion...
"It is I."
He tightened his embrace, holding her tightly in his arms, feeling as if his heart, like a daffodil, was overflowing with something.
"Xian'er, please stop crying. It will break my heart if you keep crying."
The person in his arms gradually calmed down, and Emperor Zhaoheng, after this period of time, finally calmed down completely and pulled her closer into his arms.
"What caused your dizziness in the courtyard just now? I'd better summon the imperial physician to take a look."
Narcissus gently shook her head in his arms, her hair brushing against his chest, bringing a slight tickle.
"No need, Your Majesty."
Her voice carried a seductive languor, "The imperial physician has examined me and said that as my pregnancy progresses, my appetite is poor, I can't eat much, and I'm prone to dizziness and weakness. I'll feel better after a rest."
Emperor Zhaoheng was slightly relieved after hearing the imperial physician say that there was nothing wrong.
He lowered his head and gazed at her pale yet still beautiful face in the dim light, his pity growing stronger.
Emperor Zhaoheng lowered his head and gently kissed her forehead with boundless tenderness.
Narcissus's long eyelashes trembled slightly. She raised her eyes, now even clearer from being washed by tears, and asked softly:
"Your Majesty... why did you come out from the side hall just now?"
Emperor Zhaoheng's thin lips curved slightly. "Sometimes, when I miss you, I'll come to the side hall and look at you through the window. Sometimes when I come, I can see you strolling in the courtyard, and sometimes I can only see the main hall brightly lit by candlelight, with your silhouette reflected on the latticed window."
Narcissus exclaimed in surprise, "You come to see me so often? I never even noticed... Does Your Majesty always wait until I'm fast asleep before coming?"
Emperor Zhaoheng couldn't help but chuckle as he looked at her completely dependent expression:
"Silly fairy, I can come and go as I please within this deep palace. How could you possibly know?"
His deep voice carried the arrogance of an emperor in control of everything, unaware that his whereabouts had already been exposed.
Narcissus blinked lightly, her eyes instantly filled with emotion.
But soon, that feeling of being moved faded like the tide, leaving only a faint sense of loss.
She suddenly turned over, her thin back facing Emperor Zhaoheng again, her voice muffled, carrying an accusatory tone:
"Since Your Majesty cares for me, why didn't you believe me in the first place? Why did you send poor Xiao Chuanzi to that cannibalistic Shenxing Division? And now... why are you pretending to be so affectionate now?"
She buried her face in the soft pillow, looking very aggrieved.
Emperor Zhaoheng's smile faded slightly. He remained silent for a moment, his arm still around her, his voice lowering:
"It's not that I don't believe you... but at the time, Yi Guichun and Consort Li spoke with absolute certainty, and there was physical evidence. As the ruler of the country, I must give an explanation to the court and the harem. As for Xiao Chuanzi..."
He patiently explained, "Sending him to the Censorate is also to thoroughly investigate the truth and clear your name. When the truth comes out, if he is found to be innocent, I will release him and compensate him handsomely."
Emperor Zhaoheng, fearing that Shui Xian would worry, said, "I have already instructed the Censorate to keep an eye on things. They will certainly not let him get into any serious trouble, but some minor injuries are still unavoidable."
This is the love of an emperor.
He threw those around her into the morgue to suffer, and ordered that Xiao Chuanzi's life be spared, which was already a great favor from him.
Shui Xian was frighteningly clear-headed. She turned around at the right moment and whispered in defense of Xiao Chuanzi, "Really? Your Majesty, Xiao Chuanzi... he's a good boy!"
"If he really wanted to harm people, why would he let those wicked servants bully him in the inner pharmacy... He didn't dare to resist, he would just hide and cry while holding his medical books."
"The reason he read those unorthodox medical books is because he already knew the medical books commonly used in the palace by heart! Those unorthodox books not only contain unorthodox methods, but also many miraculous remedies for saving lives! He studied them because he wanted to save more people!"
"Alright, Xian'er," Emperor Zhaoheng said, gently patting her slender back as he saw her agitated. "Don't worry about this anymore. Trust me. All you need to do now is to focus on your pregnancy and give me a healthy prince."
Shui Xian raised her tear-filled eyes again and looked straight into his deep eyes: "Trust Your Majesty? Then Your Majesty... isn't it because you don't trust me that you've confined me to this Yongle Palace?"
"Your Majesty...do you know how much resentment I feel?"
Emperor Zhaoheng's breath hitched. He was about to explain the weighing of options and his helplessness at the time when he heard the woman in his arms, whose voice had been filled with accusation, suddenly soften, like spring water melting ice, filled with helpless love.
"But... my longing for Your Majesty outweighs my resentment..."
As soon as she finished speaking, Narcissus buried her face in his chest and sobbed softly.
Emperor Zhaoheng thought to himself.
The struggle was real, and so was the love.
Emperor Zhaoheng was incredibly soft-hearted, and he felt that Shui Xian loved him terribly.
The man couldn't help but feel a sense of pride, and he also felt that Narcissus's pure love was a rare genuine affection in this treacherous harem.
He cupped Narcissus's face in his hands and kissed her deeply, their bodies entwined once more...
——
Inside the Qianqing Palace.
The dripping sound of the water clock was exceptionally clear in the silence.
Feng Shunxiang stood by the water clock with his hands at his sides, his gaze sweeping over the mark indicating that it was past the second watch of the night, and he already understood.
The Emperor will likely be spending the night at Yongle Palace.
The chief eunuch, who had been by Emperor Zhaoheng's side since he was a prince, was also experiencing a surge of emotions.
He had never seen this deep-thinking emperor, who prioritized the affairs of state, so deeply concerned about a woman, so unable to control his emotions.
This affection was so profound it was astonishing, and it made him look at Consort Jin with even greater respect.
He slightly turned his head, his gaze sweeping over the few eunuchs in the hall like a hawk's, his voice low and warning:
"Listen up, everyone! His Majesty reviewed memorials until late tonight, and, feeling exhausted, has already retired to the Qianqing Palace. Everything you saw and heard today must remain a secret! If I hear even the slightest bit of anything that shouldn't be here..."
He paused, his cloudy gaze suddenly becoming incredibly sharp.
"We'll definitely find that gossipy bastard. Then, whether he lives or dies, whether we skin him alive or tear him apart, it won't be up to you! You'd better think this through!"
All the palace servants lowered their heads even further, not daring to breathe.
Inside the hall, you could hear a pin drop; only the dripping of the water clock served as a silent warning.
Early the next morning, inside Yongle Palace...
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